The Walvoords tout strawberry picking as the perfect family outing for the summer.

Walvoord's Berry Farm, owned by Randy and Linda Walvoord, boasts wagon rides out to their 115-acre strawberry "patch," located one mile north of Cedar Grove, and Randy said many like to make the experience into a friendly competition to see who can pick the most the fastest.

Not to mention, you come away with delicious berries prime for pies, tortes or just plain eating.

The scene each summer is one that gives Randy pride and pleasure.

"If you came out here on a nice day from 9 to 10 o'clock in the morning to 5 at night ... you'll see the families coming out here, and it'll be from just little tikes to teenagers," Randy said. "There's nothing that's cooler than seeing those little kids biting into a big, juicy strawberry and juice is rolling down their chin."

But behind the relative leisure of a Walvoord's Berry Farm visit is months of hard work put in by 57-year-old Randy and his wife to ready the farm for the public.

Last month in particular, as the blossoms were starting to show, the Walvoords took great pains to make sure their main source of income didn't succumb to the fate area strawberry farmers may dread the most — frost.

Like many strawberry farmers, Randy uses an irrigation system to ward against the cold.

He sets thermometers in his fields that are hooked up to an alarm system in his house. When temperatures threaten to kill his berries, the alarm wakes Randy and Linda, often in the wee hours of the morning, and beckons the couple outdoors to start the life-saving irrigation system.

"This season, probably ran it six or seven times," Randy said. "And then I probably had that many times where it was close enough to get me out of bed. ...The alarm goes off and you go, 'Oh, shucky darn, time to get up again.'"

Possibly for that reason, Walvoord's — started in 1979 — is the only you-pick strawberry farm in Sheboygan County registered with the Wisconsin Berry Growers Association.

"There have been a lot of growers over the years," Randy said. "It's a business where weather can really help you or hurt you. ...A lot of them don't last five years, because they find out how much work it is."

Neighboring counties hold a smattering of options as well. The Wisconsin Berry Growers Association represents more than 70 berry farmers — many of them strawberry farmers — throughout the state

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WBGA Board President Chuck Prellwitz, who is in his 22nd season of strawberry farming, said berry picking continues to hold its appeal for many families.

"Strawberries are just a popular thing," Prellwitz said. "It's a good family tradition for a lot of people."

That's true for the Walvoords, whose strawberry hotline has been steadily ringing since the start of the month with eager pickers, many of them return customers, looking to confirm opening day.

That day was Saturday for Walvoord's Berry Farm. Most of the area you-pick farms opened last weekend as well.

Randy said he has opened as early as June 4 and as late as July 2 in the past. A season can then last anywhere from three to six weeks, but the typical length is four weeks.

Because seasons and crop conditions can vary drastically as a result of the weather, some farmers utilize a strawberry hotline with a pre-recorded message to alert customers of their opening day, as well as provide picking updates throughout the season.

With an unusually wet June, the start of this year's season came later than normal, Randy said, though it also brought a promising crop.

"The main thing is the crop is looking good so far," Randy said, prior to opening day. "Looks like it's going to be a bumper crop."

Reach Kali Thiel at 920-453-5134 or kthiel@sheboyganpress.com

If you go

The following is a list of some of the nearest you-pick strawberry farms. Hours and availability vary, so visitors are encouraged to call ahead.